Orlando Magic DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) has agreed to a three-year, $59 million extension with the franchise. He's now locked up through the 2028-29 campaign, with the final year being a team option. Carter Jr. has spent three and a half seasons in Orlando, posting 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. However, he's struggled to stay on the court due to health issues, and Carter Jr. suffered a new setback on Monday when he was forced to exit a preseason game against New Orleans with an ankle injury. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game that Carter Jr. is set to undergo imaging on his left ankle.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) suffered an apparent lower leg injury during the Monday afternoon preseason game against the Orlando Magic and was helped off to the locker room as he was in obvious pain. According to Brett Siegel, the big man suffered a sprained left ankle and will not return to the game. Carter showed a lot of frustration at the time of the injury as well. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old has had very bad luck with injuries throughout his six-year career. Some more information should come out about his injury when they're able to do some more tests. He finished Monday's game with four points, six rebounds, and one steal across 20 minutes.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may be on the Magic and 76er's radars. But first, he must decline his $15.4 million player option. TNT's Chris Haynes reported that KCP might decline his player option if he doesn't reach an extension agreement with the Nuggets before the deadline. However, even if he reaches unrestricted free agency, both sides could still work things out, although Philadelphia and Orlando have the cap space needed to make an enticing offer. The 31-year-old has played in Denver for the last two seasons, appearing in 76 games in each of them. He finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 10.1 points and shooting 40.6% from behind the arc. Caldwell-Pope will likely remain a starter wherever he ends up moving ahead, which isn't bad for fantasy purposes, even if he's not the most consistent producer.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will likely decline his player option if he doesn't agree on a contract extension with his current team. Haynes added that even if KCP declines, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll leave Denver. However, Caldwell-Pope will have a "plethora of teams at his doorstop" if he hits the open market. The 31-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Nuggets, where he has been instrumental in the team's success. He finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 10.1 points and 1.3 steals while shooting 40.6% from behind the arc. With that said, if Caldwell-Pope stays in Denver, he'll have to fight with Nikola Jokic and the rest of the starters for scoring chances. Yet, if he lands on a new team for the 2024-25 season, his production could increase.

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has had two solid years with the team but might land elsewhere for the 2024-25 campaign. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Nuggets are "concerned" that Caldwell-Pope will decline his $15.44 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency. It is believed that the two-time NBA champion could attract a similar deal to the one Bruce Brown signed with Indiana last summer when he left Denver on a two-year, $45 million contract. Caldwell-Pope, who turned 31 in February, posted 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists with 40.6 percent three-point shooting in 2023-24.